The Purchase Process

We believe that the process of ordering a custom bike is a huge part of what makes custom bikes special. By welcoming you into that process from the earliest design stages through production, we hope to foster a unique connection between you and your bike.

Step 1 :: Contact Us

Reach out to us at kevin@fireflybicycles.com or call 617-825-3473 to start the conversation about your bike. We want to know the type of riding you like to do and your goals for your Firefly, and to answer questions you may have so that you understand the process and we understand exactly how to approach your bike as a unique project.

Step 2 :: Deposit

Once you are ready to place your order, we require a $1000 deposit to hold your spot in the production queue. You can place your deposit here. We then start working with you on the specific details of your fit and frame design. While the frame geometry does not need to be finalized right away, discussing the fit early gives us time to plan ahead while also giving you a chance to try any changes that we might suggest.

Step 3 :: Fit

If you can visit us in person, we will schedule a time for a complete fitting in our workshop. However, even if you can’t come to Boston, we are completely confident managing the whole fit process remotely. With a combination of our custom fit form, more in-depth conversations with you about your bike, and often photos or a short video of you on your current bike, we can collect all of the information we need to design the perfect frame for you.

Step 4 :: Build Selection

During the waiting period, we will discuss your frame options, components, finish, and all of the other details. We offer framesets, complete builds, and everything in between, but always recommend complete builds. By building your bike here, we can be sure everything is installed correctly and works perfectly, making it ready to ride when you receive it. Minute details like hood position can make a huge difference in how a bike fits, and being able to control those variables makes for a better final product.

Step 5 :: Build & Delivery

Approaching your build date, we will be in touch with you to confirm any final details. As we build your frame, we will send you updates with photos of the process. We then do a full photoshoot of your finished bike in our studio, package it with as little breakdown as possible, and ship it to you with a USB drive including all of your bike’s production and studio photos.

Frequently Asked Questions

We take most of the photos as part of our build documentation for every bike we make, but we are also fortunate to have the help of several friends who happen to be extremely talented photographers. You can see more of their work at these links:

We work directly with the majority of our customers, but we do work with a very small group of dealers chosen for their extraordinary service and, in a few cases, to help us reach customers we wouldn’t otherwise.

We like to start working on your frame geometry soon after you place a deposit. Doing so gives us more time to plan, while also giving you time to try out any changes. We recognize that your preferences may change during the waiting period and are happy to adjust accordingly. However, most of the frame geometry and component details need to be finalized at least six weeks before we build so your bike is not delayed. The finish should be finalized at least two weeks before your build date.

Because every bike is custom, including the components, we don’t offer standard build kits. We can build your bike with components from almost any manufacturer. Please contact us for more information, recommendations, or a quote anytime.

Not having a current bike is not a problem. We can use your body dimensions and conversations about previous bikes as well as how you want to use your Firefly to pinpoint the right fit for you. In such cases, visiting us in person, or visiting a trusted fitter, can be especially useful.

If you have a bike but don’t like how it fits, information about that fit is still very useful. For example, knowing that your hands go numb on your current bike and reviewing the measurements from that bike will help us design your Firefly to solve that issue.

Today is Breonna Taylor’s 27th birthday. She should still be here. Instead, she was killed by police executing a No-Knock warrant. They shot and killed her while she slept. The man they were looking for HAD ALREADY BEEN ARRESTED EARLIER THAT SAME DAY. Enough. No more.